The world has absolutely breathtaking islands, creating the most scenic holidays. However, travel is not always easy.
This luxurious island, an autonomous region of Portugal in the North Atlantic, is about 500 miles from the country's mainland. Madeira forms part of an archipelago made up of Porto Santo and Desatesa. However, the island's airport, Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, is considered one of the most dangerous airports, ranked as one of the most dangerous airports in the world, let alone Europe. Madeira sits on an African tectonic plate, which is culturally, politically and ethnically related to Europe. Most of its population is derived from Portuguese settlers who discovered deserted islands in the 15th century.
According to the 2021 census, the archipelago has around 250,000 people living in the archipelago. Madeira's capital is Funchal, located on the south coast of the main island.
Often called “European Hawaii,” Madeira is a year-round resort boasting warm, sunny summers and mild wet winters. Temperatures rarely fall below the mid-twenties, and the islands have microspheres. Popular destinations for Portuguese, British and German tourists are also regularly visited, with 148,000 and 113,000 in 2021 respectively.
The region has attracted attention for its Madeira wine, flora and fauna, and its prehistoric Laurel Forest is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Funchal's major ports have become a critical outage for Atlantic cruises between Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa.
Madelia is also a hiker's paradise, offering a diverse range of landscapes and trails for all abilities. Popular destinations include hiking to the island's highest peak (6,109 feet of Pico Ruivo) and following an ancient irrigation channel known as the Levadas.
However, a visit to Madeira involves landing at airports that have been appointed several times among the most dangerous in the world. Named after footballer and Madeiran native Cristiano Ronaldo, Madeira Airport is considered one of the most dangerous because of its location and the construction of its impressive runway. It officially opened in July 1964, and was extended in 1972 due to the island's popularity.
The most extreme airports in the History Channel are ranked as the ninth most dangerous airport in the world and the third most dangerous airport in Europe. Pilots will need to receive additional training to land at the airport.
The airport is sitting in a front area that protrudes from the sea. It is also a tabletop runway. This means there are steep drop-offs at both ends of the runway.
At the end of Runway 05, the hills and cliffs take a standard direct approach, making them impossible to land. Instead, aircraft need to create a visual approach. The visual approach involves flying around the airport, turning on a 180-degree turn before lining up to a very short final approach.
